What If Your Dog Doesn’t Want To Play?

Part of having a pet is the fun times you share aside from the cuddly moments and daily routines of meals, walks, and other things. But what if your dog doesn’t want to play with you? A study from 2001 noticed that in some instances it’s how we acted that made the dog misunderstand the signals for play time. A study from 2001 noted that patting the floor resulted in play only 38% of the time. Other signals like touching the paws, blowing in the face gently, and tickling didn’t always work too.

But what does work?
The study found that a few methods resulted in play nearly 100% of the time. Play bowing, starting a game of chase me, and acting excited and more “dog-like” were clear signals to play.

If your dog and you have are having a breakdown in communication, step back and think about their body language and what gets them and other dogs playing in the park.

Is it the “chase me!” stance, do they run up to a dog and then run away?
Is it a play bow to another dog?
Is it a nudge or pawing at another dog’s face?

You can try these things with your dog. It might feel silly at first but trust me, after a few times you won’t care because the result of wrestling around, running in the yard, and watching your dog zoom around the house is worth it. Play bowing with a dog is hilarious and dogs will often play bow back and get very excited.